Page 139 of Unmasking Love
Holy shit.
I’m not dreaming?
Thank fuck.
Harper really is lying in my bed. I wasn’t sure if I dreamt of her soft hands on my waist last night. Her gentle breaths on my neck. But with one purple nurple I’ve confirmed she’s really here.
Her hair has fallen into her face and I gently reach up to brush it back. She inhales deeply as she wakes and I smile so widely I can feel it pull at my ears.
“Good morning, sweetheart." I whisper as she blinks her truffle brown eyes open.
“Morning. How are you feeling?” She asks as she presses the back of her hand to my forehead. I give her a minute to check, mostly because the concerned look on her face is adorable. Hello nurse.
I pluck her wrist off my skin and press a kiss to her pulse. “I’m feeling so much better.”
“Good.” She sits up and moves to get out of bed. “I’ll start on breakfast for you. Or, wait, are you hungry?”
I’m starved for her but I don’t think that’s what she means.
I remember my head feeling a little fuzzy before taking the ice last night. Then the intense onslaught of offense that kept me forward and alert for a long stretch of time. Then standing up and feeling all the blood rush out of my head.
I came around pretty quickly but Felix was standing over me commanding that I don’t move. Then the training staff was there and got me off the ice. I asked for Harper, and my parents in those first moments. My parents were rushed down to the training room but I had no idea Harper was in the building.
That surprise could have sent me into another fainting attack.
The worry on her face was etched with longing.
With love.
And I know this is my chance to clear the air and figure out why she left.
“I’m not hungry.” I tell her. “I want to talk.”
“Oh, okay.” She mutters then points over her shoulder. “Let me wash up quickly.”
“Of course.”
She steps into the bathroom and I slowly sit up. There’s water on my bedside table so I take a long drink. I stand slowly, not feeling great but feeling steadier on my feet than after my ill fated snorkeling trip, and walk out to the living room.
Moments later, Harper joins me. She’s in my t-shirt and it looks perfect. She’s perfect. She slides into the far corner of the sofa and our eyes connect. She can only hold my eye contact for a split second before she turns away. I start to reach for her but stop myself.
"Harper, talk to me, what's going on?"
"I," she starts and she exhales in frustration. "Aiden, you hurt my feelings."
"How? When? What did I do?" My brain reels with the fact that I caused this rift between us but I have no earthly idea how.
"It feels so silly now.” She huffs playing with the cuff of the shirt.
“But it wasn’t. Tell me Harper. I want to know what I did and I will make sure I never do it again.” The desperation is clear in my tone.
“You didn't tell me about the record."
"The assist record?" Why would she care about that?
"Yes, I had no idea you were working towards it."
"I wasn't," I say defensively. "It isn't even a stat that gets tracked for goalies. Someone in the marketing department did the math after I'd had a few."
